With the fear and uncertainty posed by a global pandemic, Ascential – the company that runs Cannes Lions – this year made the difficult decision to cancel the festival. But what does that mean for the business, for the advertising industry, and for the world of events? We hear from Philip Thomas, Chairman of Cannes Lions and president of Ascential Marketing, on the difficult decision to cancel the event, and the awards. He discusses the digital events they will be running in June instead (Lions Live), the value of having close customer relationships, and what is happening to creativity and brand ‘purpose’ as we address the COVID-19 crisis.